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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kid — to tease
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. race — humankind
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. race — a contest
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com